Do you find that there are skills that are commonly lacking in MLS/MLIS holders? If so, which ones?

Time management and prioritization of tasks.
Ability to see big picture – although I see this as a problem with veteran librarians as well so perhaps unfair to ask new graduates to have that skill.

When deciding who to hire out of a pool of candidates, do you value skills gained through coursework and skills gained through practice differently?

√ No preference–as long as they have the skill, I don’t care how they got it

Which skills (or types of skills) do you expect a new hire to learn on the job (as opposed to at library school)?

Work flows unique to the particular library

Which of the following experiences should library students have upon graduating?

√ Library work experience
√ Professional organization involvement

What advice do you have for students who want to make the most of their time in library school?

Do both your classes and get hands-on experience.
Consider classes outside of the regular library science program (business, marketing, HR – if you want to go into management)

Do you have any other comments, for library schools or students, or about the survey?

I am actually quite hopeful about the future of librarianship when I interact with library school students. Most seem to get that public libraries are about people NOT about books these days. Most seem to be willing to try new things, experiment, and bring energy and enthusiasm to the workplace.